Cutting instrument



y 1953' E. w. GENT 2,645,849

cu'r'rmc INSTRUMENT i e De 1 19 v 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. E DGAR W. 6ENT A T TORNEYS July 21, 1953 E. w. GENT 2,645,849

CUTTING INSTRUMENT Filed Dec. 15, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 T INVENTOR. EDGAR (GE/VT Mada!- ATTUHWEYS Patented July 21, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFlCEa Q i 2,645,849 I i p CUTTING INSTRUMENT Edgar W. Gent, Morristown, N. J. Application December 15, 1949, Serial No. 133,173

This invention relates to a cutting instrument and more particularly to a cutting implement for clipping, trimming, thinning and shaving hair and the like.

It is an object of my invention to provide a manually operable cutting device which is readily used by either a right or a left handed operator for cutting hair to the desired length.

Another object of my invention is to provide an economically and simply constructed implement in which there are combined a hair combing and hair cutting or shaving means.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a hair cutting implement having a plurality of pivoted holding members adapted to form a guide and rest portion on the head, to move relatively of each other and to hold comb and easily removable hair cutting or shaving means therein.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a hand operable hair cutting device in which the cutting members are easilyreplaceable and are reciprocably actuated.

A more specific object of the present invention is to provide a hand operated hair cutting or trimming device having a pair of pivotally connected outwardly flared, tail pieces and abutting comb members adapted to retain between them cutting means, and which is provided with means for recip i g said cutting means relatively of the comb members. a

Other objects willv become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the attached drawings showing several illustrative embodiments of the invention and wherein:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the interior of one half of a preferred embodiment of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a left end view of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1, in its completed form;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of the complete embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of the complete embodiment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of one of themembers forming part of the embodiment shown in Figj l;

Fig. 6 is a top plan view of the complete embodiment of Fig. 1; I

Fig. 7 is a top sectional view of a modification of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of one of the elements used inthe embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and '7; Fig. 9 is a sectional end view of Fig. 7 looking in the direction Of the'arrow';9f 1ine 8 9 in Fig. 7; and 1 5 Claims. (01. s0--212) boss 26.

Fig. 10 is a plan view of a modified form of one of the cutting members shown in Fig. 1. I Referring now to the drawings in which like numbers refer to like parts throughtout, there is provided a cutting implement l0 consisting of a pair of jaws, positioning, clamping, or holding members H and I2 which are connected together at'their lower abutting portions [3 by means of a pin or pivotal member M. It will be noted from the drawings thatsaid members H and 12 as connected togethertaper from, their lower portions l5 and [6, respectively, towards their upper clamping ends I! and l8,'respectivel'y. Said jaw members are further provided at their upper ends with a plurality of serrations or teeth [9 so as to form combs and 2|, respectively. Said positioning member I2 is provided with lateral projections 22 and 23 to be used'as finger grips, each extending from the sides thereof as shown more clearly in Figs. 1, 2 and 6. Latera projection 23 is provided with a recess 24. V

Positioning member I2 is provided at its interior with a recess 25 extending the major length of the same and forming a pocket in the member. In the center of said recess 25 there is a boss or outward projection 26 which extends into a lateral groove 21 of similar outlinein the interior of holding member II.

Said boss 25 in member l2 extends a major portion of the width of said jaw member, and is disposed in the center of recess 25. Furthermore, said boss 26 is adapted to retain in the recess 25 a stationary. cutter or blade 28 adapted to lie flush against the interior wall 29 of said recess 25. Said cutter or blade 28 is provided with a longitudinal slot 30 so as to fit over-the Said blade also is provided with a plurality of evenly spaced teeth or serrations on its upper and lower longitudinal edges 32 and 33, respectively, so as to be readily inverted as to position with respect to said boss.

Adapted to fit'in said recess 25 is a movable blade or cutter 34 containing a plurality of. serrations or teeth 35 on each of its longitudinal edges 36 and 31, respectively. Said blade is provided with a central longitudinal slot 38 which can be fitted on to said boss 26 whereby the blade lies in sliding abutment against the stationary or fixed blade 28. Said-'movable blade 34 is provided with a longitudinal terminal'fextensibn iiil on one end thereof containing an "intermedi ate recess 40 and 4| on either side of said longitudinal extension for accommodating the '-ball end 43 of a bell crank 44' which is pivotedto the inside face of the jaw member 12' by means or a pin member 45 suitably set into said jaw member. Said bell crank 44 is connected at its other end to a manually operable leverage member 46 which is provided with two spaced upwardly extending guards 41 and 48 so as to permit several fingers of the operator to be held between the guards on said member. Said leverage member 46 is provided with a recess 49 for accommodating one end of a spring member 50 whose other end extends into the recess 24 of lateral projection 23.

In order to keep said jaw members H and [2 in closed or contacting position, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, and 4, a tension spring is provided whose ends 52 and 53 extend upwardly and outwardly of the body of the spring. Each of said ends is adapted to fit into recesses 54 and 55 respectively of said jaw members II and [2, respectively.

In the modification shown in Fig. 7, it will be noted that in lieu of a movable hair cutting blade, I provide a razor blade 55 in the recess 25, and a coiled. spring member 5'! which is adapted to fit around a sideboss 58 in the recess of said jaw member 12. There is also provided a bell crank whose free end 59 forms a contact with one edge of said blade 55 whereby on the downward movement of leverage member 46, spring member 5! forces said cutting blade laterally of the jaw member so as to produce the necessary cutting or shaving action.

In Fig. there is provided a blade 80 adapted for thinning the hair. It will be noted that this blade has an upper set SI of teeth similar to the type of blade shown in Figs. 1 and 8 while the lower set 62 is such that there are half the number of teeth of twice the spacing of the upper set of teeth so that when said lower set of teeth is used, the hair can be thinned instead of being completely out.

From the foregoing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, it will be noted that in my invention there are provided two separate comb members enabling the use of the same by either a right-handed or left-handed operator. Said combs form part of the jaw positioning members and serve to position the hair before cutting it. Also said jaw members are in pivoted position and retained together by a tension spring member. Furthermore, one of said members has a recess for accommodating a fixed, serrated cutting blade, and a movable cutting blade with teeth facing outwardly, and means for reciprocating the movable blade so as to provide a cutting action between the fixed and the movable teeth. It will be also noted that said jaw member are each provided with an outwardly flaring tail portion adapted, because of its curvature, to rest upon the skull of the person whose hair is being cut, thereby positioning the teeth of the cutting edge with respect to the skull thus enabling one to cut the hair at any desired length. This is especially true when a safety razor blade is substituted for the movable serrated blade. It has been found also, according to my invention, that when the razor blade is used, the hairs are retained next to the comb teeth and easily severed without fear of cutting the scalp. Also by positioning the clipper or the cutter against the head or skull, a free finger, the one next to. the little finger, can feel the hair which is extending through the comb enabling one to check on the amount of cut or length of severed hair. The projection 23, along with a thumb positioning knob 22, can enable one to easily position and retain the assembly at any desired position.

It will also be noted that the comb member or jaw I2 is provided with two fixed handles 22, 23. Furthermore, the jaw or comb member l2 contains a fixed cuttin member which engages in contact the movable cutting blade. When a shaving action is desired, the movable toothed blade is removed and a safety razor blade is substituted for said toothed blade so a to operate along the rectangular boss 26 as a cutting member.

It will be noted that the construction shown and described will serve effectively to accomplish the objects stated above. It is to be understood, however, that the construction disclosed above is intended merely as illustrative of the invention and not as limiting, as various modification therein may be made without departing from the invention as defined by a proper interpretation of the claims which follow.

I claim:

1. A hair cutting implement comprising a plurality of hingedly connected externally concave shaped holding members, each having a comblike terminal portion adapted to lie in face to face relationship, a blade member mounted between said terminal portions, another blade member in face to face contact with the the first blade member and slidable relative thereto, grip means projecting from one of the holding members, a manually operable lever member pivoted to and extending from one of the holding members and being connected with the slidable blade member and adapted to reciprocate the slidable blade member, and tension means connected with said lever member and one of the grip mean to actuate the blade and said slidable lever member into normal rest position upon release of manual pressure on said lever member.

2. A hair cutting device comprising a pair of holding members pivotally connected together, one of said members having an internal recess, guide means extending from the other member into the recess, a serrated blade member fixed to said guide means, another blade mounted on said guide means and adapted to slide across said recess relatively of the serrated blade member, manually operable means on one of the holding members connected with said slidable blade for operating the same, and tensioned means intermediate the holding members for normally keeping said holding members in face to face contact.

3. A cutting implement comprising a pair of clamping means, said means being pivotally connected together and being outwardly flared and each having a free lower portion which can be manually pressed toward the free portion of the other clamping means around the pivotally connected portion, said means further having terminal comblike contacting portions, one of said means having a recess to'accommodate a hair cutting member therein, said recess having a boss on which said hair cutting member is mounted, digital grip means laterally extending from one of said clamping means, a lever member pivoted to said last named clamping means and connected to the hair cutting member, said lever being adapted to slidably actuate said hair cutting member in the recess, spring means intermediate the lever member and one of the digital grip means, and a spring member intermediate the free portions of the clamping means whereby the upper ends of said means are in contacting relation.

4. An implement according to claim 3 in which the other clamping means has-a recess for accommodating the projecting portion of the boss on the opposite clamping means. I

5. A hair cutting implement comprising a pair of jaw members each having an inner flat engaging face and a terminal comb portion and an outwardly flared external face providing a rest portion on the head from which hair is to be cut, hinged means interconnecting said members, a blade member intermediate the engaging faces, another blade member in flatface to face contact with the first blade member and slidable relatively thereto, fixed finger grip means projecting laterally from one of the jaw members for holding said jaw members, a manually operable lever pivoted to said jaw member and extending therefrom, said lever being connected with the slidable blade member for reciprocating the same, tensioned means intermediate one of the finger grip means and the lever mem--* her for actuating the lever member when nor- EDGAR W. GENT.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 919,833 'Dolan Apr. 27, 1909 1,205,576 Stearns Nov. 21, 1916 1,366,532 Gibson Jan. 25, 1921 1,535,471 Howell Apr, 28, 1925 1,823,764 Reich Sept. 15 1931 2,098,631 Udkovich July 16, 1935 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date France Apr. 11, 1922 

